Think those 529 prepaid tuition plans are a safe way to make your child’s college education affordable? Think again. The Money Blogger breaks it down: Alabama invested 70 percent of its plan’s funds in stocks, and assumed a perpetually high return. Peering closer, he reveals that while states with such prepaid tuition plans talk the language of guarantees, their fine print says otherwise. Buyer beware.

We’ve just done 529s through an investment counselor, not bought into our state’s plan. So far, so good. The money is moved from fund to fund as they get older, reducing the riskiness of the investment as the BIG DAY gets closer and closer. Actually, I take no credit: Boyd is the investing guru (and the disciplined saver) in this house.